


the fireman

by vonseal



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: CHEESE IS BACK THIS GONNA BE CHEESY, Fluff, M/M, Romance, jinjin is a fireman, let the cheese flames overtake all my fanfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-18 12:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9384338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonseal/pseuds/vonseal
Summary: Jinwoo is a fireman, which is great, because Myungjun totally has the hots for him.





	1. the fireman: an ethereal being

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaerub](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaerub/gifts).



> yup. this is my life now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myungjun decided that he didn't mind if he wasn't capable of saving himself as long as he could be saved by an angel.

“I can climb trees just fine.”

Myungjun was a liar. Or, rather, he wasn't a liar _that often_ , but when pride was at stake, then yes, Myungjun was a liar. Especially when it involved _climbing trees_ and the words, “I can climb trees just fine,” and that kid from across the hall giving him his best _then do it_ face. Then he was the biggest liar of all.

“And I'll _do it_ ,” Myungjun tacked on for extra measure, scoffing over in Yoon Sanha's general direction (as per the norm, he realized, and he sometimes wondered why he tried getting into fights with a boy who was six years his junior).

“Alright, then, let's see you do it.”

He was hoping Sanha would back down, but Sanha didn't appear to be as wimpy as he looked. Which meant that Myungjun was going to have to climb up this ridiculously big tree in order to rescue his poor cat, who was gripping onto a branch for its dear life.

“You're about to see a master preform perfectly in his talent,” Myungjun responded, and he reached for the first branch and began the ascent up this stupid, dumb tree (he was going to start a petition later to cut it down, he had already decided).

He didn't know how he got halfway up the tree, but when he stopped climbing suddenly, he realized his hands were scratched up and he was _high up off the ground_. Higher than he expected to get, higher than _Sanha_ expected him to get, if his calls of, “Hyung, you've proven your bravery to me, stop climbing!” were enough to go by.

Myungjun was quite willing to plant his feet safely on solid ground since he _did_ prove his point to Sanha, but he was frozen. He couldn't move up and he couldn't move down.

“Sanha?” He tried to ensure his voice didn't shake, but it was difficult to ensure his own survival at this point, so he found that he didn't care too much. “Sanha, I can't come down.”

“You're not that far up!” Sanha waved a hand. Myungjun was pretty certain this was at least a thousand feet up off the ground. At the very least, that's how it felt.

“Sanha, I _can't come down_.” He forgot his fear of heights. That would have been a useful thing to remember when climbing a tree to rescue his cat.

Sanha was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “I'm calling my mom!”

“What is your _mom_ going to do about this?” Myungjun snapped. He pressed his cheek up against the branch he was grasping onto, eyes searching up in order to spot that stupid feline. He was only going to feed her two treats a night instead of four after this.

“Fine, I'm calling the firemen!”

Myungjun didn't know which was going to be more humiliating – being saved by Sanha's mother, or being saved by a group of firemen (which would undoubtedly attract attention of his neighbors). “No, Sanha-” Myungjun tried to protest, but Sanha was already busy talking loudly and animatedly on the phone.

At the very least, he hoped Sanha was portraying him in a good light (though it didn't sound that way, as the word “stupid,” traveled up the tree and into Myungjun's ears at least three times).

“They're on their way!” Sanha called, hanging up his phone. “It won't take them that long, though they said they'd prefer it next time if you left saving cats up to professionals! I think they're laughing at you!”

“ _Great_.” Myungjun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He should just let go and accept his death. That would be better than facing those firemen.

And how _dare_ they laugh at him, anyway. Tons of people got stuck in this exact same situation all of the time! Or so Myungjun assumed, because otherwise the firemen would regard the scenario with more caution than they were apparently doing.

“Do you need anything, Hyung?”

“Yeah.” Myungjun didn't dare open his eyes to look down. “I need you to go toss yourself in a ditch, Yoon Sanha.”

“Hey, you're the one that got up there. I didn't _force_ you to do it!” He could hear the smile in Sanha's voice, and he wished he could come down and throw dirt or something at that kid.

The next couple of minutes passed in relative silence, save for some sort of game Sanha was playing on his phone (and losing, by the sounds of Sanha's huffs and sighs, and Myungjun couldn't be happier that Sanha wasn't beating a simple phone game). The firetruck did finally arrive, though without the usual sirens and speeding. Myungjun was grateful enough for that; hopefully the neighbors would be none the wiser.

He expected a whole gaggle of firemen to point up at him and laugh loudly at his misfortune. Instead of that, he just heard the door slam once, and he spared a peek to see a single man dressed only partially in his fireman uniform.

“Is that him?” the man asked. His face was hidden by his hat, and he was asking the question to Sanha, anyway, not looking much in Myungjun's general direction.

“Who the hell else would you be saving?” Myungjun mumbled under his breath. In a louder voice, however, he called, “I'm perfectly capable of saving myself! I just need to get down, and Yoon Sanha down there just called about my cat!”

“I really didn't, I called for him,” Myungjun heard Sanha explain. He was going to throw dirt _and_ pebbles at Sanha once he got down.

“I'm coming down now!” Myungjun yelled, pretending like he hadn't heard Sanha betraying him in such a manner. “I just gotta-” He released one hand in order to grab a slightly-lower branch, but found it was a little too far away from the position he was in. He reached for it, but his fingers just barely brushed it.

The fireman had other plans, and he replied, “Just stay where you are! I'm trained for this, and I can just pull out my ladder-”

“I got it!” Myungjun exclaimed as his hand finally grasped onto his branch. His elation came far too quickly, it seemed, for he hadn't grabbed onto a _stable_ portion of the branch, so when his other hand released what it had been holding, he had nothing to actually hold on _to_.

His worst nightmare came true – he fell.

People usually say that their lives flash before their eyes right before a deadly situation. Myungjun wondered if he just had no life, because nothing flashed before his own eyes, save for the blur of green and brown as he shot straight towards the ground.

Though instead of hitting grass and roots as he expected, he fell onto a soft body and heard a loud _oomph_ as his elbow jabbed into the body's stomach.

His mind was still reeling slightly as he sat up. “Sanha?” he questioned, but the boy was hurrying _over_ to him, not laying beneath him.

Which could only mean -

“Oh my god!” Myungjun scrambled off of the body (earning him more grunts in the process) and turned to apologize to the fireman. “I'm _so_ sorry, I had that branch and it must have been rotten because it just...it just...it-”

He was dead.

That was the only explanation for it. He was dead and an angel had come to take him to heaven. There was _no way_ this was just a simple fireman, because firemen didn't look like ethereal beings, and there was an ethereal being in front of him.

The ethereal being groaned as he sat himself up, but despite the pain he must have been in, he offered Myungjun a wide smile.

“I don't think you were capable of saving yourself.”

Myungjun agreed and Myungjun also decided that he didn't mind if he wasn't capable of saving himself as long as he could be saved by an angel.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this brilliant au of jinjin being a fireman came from [@chaerub](https://chaerub.tumblr.com/), and it was just perfect and i am in awe by this prompt and feel as if it needs to be stretched into another cheesy chaptered fic. so here i go. im diving into this hot mess (how many fire related puns can i do).
> 
> feed me dollar bills [@vonseal.](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com)


	2. the fireman: a cat whisperer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myungjun wanted to say that Jinwoo needed to put out the fire in his heart, but he also remembered that he wasn't lame, so he refrained from telling any lame jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how the heck do i subtly incorporate puns into myungjun's speech

“Do you need any help?”

Myungjun didn't know how he _could_ be of any help, but he had grown up with lessons on how to be kind and polite and hardworking. And, sure, maybe the amused glance the fireman gave him was well-deserved, but Myungjun could at least say that he _tried_.

“It's not that difficult. I just have to go up and grab your cat.”

“It's a lot more difficult than it looks, though. Trust me, I tried.”

“Trust _me_ , I'm a fireman.”

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders – the fireman got him there. “I guess this is your job and all – saving cats from trees.”

The fireman finished setting his ladder up against the tree. “Well, that and putting out fires.”

“I guess that's a job that firemen do, sure.”

He smiled brightly when the fireman shot him another amused glance. The fireman didn't respond, however. He instead began his ascent upwards to the cat, taking each step nice and slow.

Myungjun was very much content with watching the fireman's back ( _very_ content), but he felt a poke at his shoulder and glanced behind him to come face-to-face with an exasperated Sanha.

“How much longer are you going to flirt, Hyung?”

“Shut up.” Myungjun lightly smacked the boy's arm. “I'm not _flirting_ , I'm just making casual conversation.”

“It's gross.”

Myungjun rolled his eyes and pushed Sanha aside. “Yeah, well, why don't you run along inside if you can't handle my talent at this?”

Sanha huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Myungjun was reminded of a pouting toddler. “You said you were best at climbing trees.”

“Where's that ditch I told you to go toss yourself in? I _swear_ , Yoon San-”

“Is your cat friendly?” the fireman suddenly called out, and Myungjun scrambled to stand closer to the ladder, ignoring the loud exhale Sanha gave to him just then.

“”Um...not really. I mean, not to strangers.” Myungjun tried to act as casual as possible and pretend he wasn't just discussing his obvious flirting with some high school student. “She likes me, but she just hates everyone else in the world.”

The fireman gave a loud, “Ohh-” before reaching out to Myungjun's frightened cat. “C'mere, sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you.” Myungjun couldn't hear the cat hiss, but he could definitely tell the signs of his cat hissing, and he tensed up. He hoped the fireman wasn't going to get scratched, and he also hoped his cat wouldn't do anything stupid to hurt herself. “Aw, you're scared, aren't you?” The fireman was cooing and using a baby voice and Myungjun couldn't _believe_ how cute this fireman was. “Don't worry, it's high up. Your owner was scared, too.”

“Hey!” Myungjun furrowed his eyebrows. “Stop spreading lies about me and just grab my cat!”

“Alright, alright.” The fireman was giggling, and if Myungjun hadn't just currently been insulted, he would like to think that the giggle was incredibly endearing. “Hey, kitty, my name's Jinwoo. Park Jinwoo. Do you have a name?”

Myungjun wasn't going to answer for his cat, especially not now when he had actually figured out the fireman's name. His heart skipped a beat when Jinwoo glanced down at him, and he awkwardly held a hand up in a wave.

Apparently, Jinwoo wasn't looking for him to wave.

“What's her name?”

“Oh.” Myungjun put his hand down and decided that he was a complete moron. “Star.”

“It's English?”

Myungjun nodded his head slightly, and Jinwoo turned back to the cat. “Star's a really pretty name. I like it. How about we get down from this tree, though, Star? I think your owner misses you a lot. Here-” He reached out again, and Myungjun watched with bated breath. Luckily, Star didn't seem to be hissing or otherwise showing any signs of discomfort (other than the obvious _oh-my-god-what-have-i-done_ expression she had since she got herself stuck in the tree) and Jinwoo was actually able to grab her quite easily. Her claws were gripping tightly onto the branch, but once Jinwoo had her by the scruff of her neck, he gently peeled her claws off the wood with his other hand. Finally, after a few painstakingly slow minutes, Jinwoo had the cat held close to his chest and was descending down the ladder.

Even Sanha seemed impressed, and had walked up to stand beside Myungjun. “She _likes_ him?” Sanha asked.

Myungjun could only stare in amazement. He hoped this meant his cat approved of Jinwoo. If his evil _cat_ could approve, surely that meant that he and Jinwoo were meant to be.

“Here!” Jinwoo had made it down the ladder and passed the cat over to Myungjun, who took her in his own arms, still rather speechless.

“That was so cool!” Sanha announced. “She hates _everyone_ , but she actually let you grab her!”

Jinwoo just laughed and waved off Sanha's amazement. “She just wanted to be saved, and she was willing to have _anyone_ save her. Look, I think she likes her owner a lot more, though.”

Myungjun was petting her softly, and once Star seemed to realize she was okay, she began to purr. Myungjun took his chance and passed her off to Sanha. “Go take her back to my place. Door's unlocked.”

“But-”

“I know three of your secrets and I also know your mother, Yoon Sanha.”

Myungjun had never seen Sanha hurry away so quickly.

At least he was alone now, and being alone with Jinwoo made him want to kiss the guy. But first, perhaps, he'd better formally introduce himself. He could kiss Jinwoo later.

“So, uh, Park Jinwoo is your name?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jinwoo gave Myungjun a sheepish smile. “I know talking to the cat seems really weird, but I'd like to think that having a sense of normalcy during my rescue calms cats down.”

Myungjun blinked. “You know a lot about saving cats from trees. How many have you saved?”

Jinwoo looked up at his ladder, then shrugged. “Oh, I don't know. I think she's the third.”

“Well, it didn't _seem_ like she was your third. You made it look so easy!”

“Maybe because I had a ladder and you didn't.” Jinwoo smiled widely at Myungjun, and Myungjun wondered if it was medically possible for hearts to do flips. His heart did a flip, if it was possible. And if it was impossible, then screw science, his heart still did a flip.

“If...if you had given me a bit more time, I totally would have gotten her.” Even if Jinwoo was cute, Myungjun was still going to defend himself.

Jinwoo laughed and shook his head. “Nothing wrong with being afraid of heights. I mean, you did get pretty far. I might not have been able to climb that far myself without my ladder. Speaking of which-” He stepped back over to it and began to take it down from the tree. Myungjun hovered around uselessly, wanting to help but also understanding that his _help_ could actually ruin something or other, considering he had no idea how those ladders worked.

Once it was loaded back in the truck, Myungjun cleared his throat and put on a small smile himself. “Um, thanks for helping out with that. Your...your whole 'climbing the ladder' thing was heroic.”

“Not as heroic as putting out fires, though, right?”

Myungjun wanted to say that Jinwoo needed to put out the fire in his heart, but he also remembered that he wasn't lame, so he refrained from telling any lame jokes.

“Well, I guess heroism is in the eyes of the beholder. I think you were a hero saving my cat.”

Myungjun thought he detected the hint of a slight blush creep up onto Jinwoo's cheeks. However, the moment he tilted his head for a better look at the fireman's face, it was gone and Myungjun wondered if he had simply imagined it.

“Then, um, you're welcome for it. I'm really glad your cat is safe. And you. I mean, I'm really glad you're safe.” Jinwoo opened the front door to his firetruck, but before climbing in, added, “Don't try to scale anymore trees, though, okay?” He didn't give Myungjun a chance to respond before getting into his seat, starting the truck, and driving off.

And Myungjun realized that not only was he unable to give Jinwoo his own name, but he also was unable to somehow get Jinwoo's number off of him.

Myungjun wondered if he could convince Sanha to help him stick his cat back in the tree.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will myungjun succeed in sticking his poor cat back up in the tree??? and is that animal abuse??? find out next time when myungjun's cat lives happily ever after i promise the cat wont get back in the tree, myungjun is a good cat owner.
> 
> hit me up with them dollar bills (i take quarters sometimes) [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com).


	3. the fireman: a dream chaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myungjun decided that trying to convince his cat to climb up a tree in front of his apartment complex probably wasn't the best plan he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic could also be titled, "myungjun is an idiot."

 

“If you climb this tree, I'll buy you the _expensive_ cat food.”

Myungjun gestured over to the tree. “And then that cute fireman you like will come and rescue you! You liked him, right?”

His cat glanced at him and gave a small meow. Myungjun nodded his head enthusiastically. “See? He has strong arms, doesn't he? He also has a nice butt, even if I don't think you saw. You don't even have to climb up that far this time, maybe halfway, and then we can call him.”

His cat went back to licking herself. Myungjun sighed and leaned up against the tree. “Star? Please? For me? I think I have this _huge_ crush on Jinwoo. Isn't that a nice name, Star? _Jinwoo_. Wouldn't you like having someone like that around?”

His cat was ignoring him, which was just as well, because Sanha's mother had stepped into view just then and was giving him a weird look.

Myungjun decided that trying to convince his cat to climb up a tree in front of his apartment complex _probably_ wasn't the best plan he had.

A better plan was to act sullen and bored, only perking up when he heard the sounds of a fire truck speeding past.

“You'd better not look that excited,” Sanha warned one day. “It's a _fire truck_. They're going to put out _fires_. It's _dangerous_.”

“I know, Sanha. I just wonder if Jinwoo's on that truck.”

“You think about him _way_ too much.”

But Myungjun disregarded Sanha's opinion, because what did some lame high school student know about love, anyway?

Or so that's how Myungjun consoled himself as he did his chores and errands. And it was how he consoled himself when he spotted a man with blond hair down the aisle of the grocery store, looking very much like that fireman.

“I'm seeing Jinwoo everywhere now,” Myungjun muttered, grabbing some toilet paper off the shelf.

But then the man turned, eyes scanning the shelves, and Myungjun gave a small start.

It _was_ Jinwoo. It was actually Jinwoo, that adorable fireman, and he was _right in front of Myungjun_.

Myungjun took the chance and hurried forward, trying to think up a five-second strategy to make it look as if he had run into Jinwoo by chance.

He couldn't decide between, “What a coincidence!” and “Oh, hey, you're that fireman!” so his mind went with both of them.

“What a fireman!” he announced loudly. Jinwoo glanced over at him and Myungjun ducked his head in embarrassment. What the hell was that? He thought he had been able to keep his cool relatively well in front of Jinwoo when they first met, despite the situation he had been in, so why, when he was in a normal location, did he mess up so badly?

“What's that supposed to mean?” Jinwoo asked, and Myungjun didn't even have to look up to hear the amusement in his voice. He knew Jinwoo was smiling widely, and while Myungjun would have _loved_ to see that, he couldn't handle showing his face right then.

“I, uh...I don't really know.”

Jinwoo gave a small _hmm_ , then snapped his fingers. “You're the guy with the cat! How's she doing, anyway?”

Myungjun wasn't going to mention that he tried stuffing his cat back in the tree just so he could see Jinwoo again. “Oh, she's fine,” was what he responded with instead. When he felt as if his blush had died down slightly, he cleared his throat and stole a peek over at Jinwoo.

He was happy he did. Jinwoo was staring at him with that smile still on his face. He didn't even look _amused_ , he just looked thoughtful and sincere and _sweet_. Myungjun adored that smile. “How are you doing? Jinwoo, right?”

“Yeah! You remembered?”

Was he not supposed to remember? Myungjun had no idea. Did people usually keep a fireman's name stored at the forefront of their mind as Myungjun had? “Well, um, you're the first person my cat really liked, other than me, so I had to remember your name. Just in case.”

“In case what?”

He had no idea _why_ he had said just in case, and he couldn't very well say at this point, “Just in case we start dating,” so he quickly answered, “Just in case she gets stuck back in the tree again. Except that'd be a _really_ weird coincidence, wouldn't it?” He laughed lightly, nervously, and then pointed at the pack of paper towels Jinwoo had been looking at in an attempt to change the subject. “You're going to buy that?”

Jinwoo's eyes followed Myungjun's finger, and he looked rather confused. Myungjun didn't blame him. “Not _that_ particular brand. I was thinking of something cheaper.”

“Oh. Does being a fireman not pay that much?”

“Not really.” Jinwoo grabbed a cheaper pack of towels off the shelf and dumped it in his cart. “But I really don't mind! The work is rewarding, and I had always wanted to be a fireman since I was a child.” He was slowly beginning to move his cart, and Myungjun followed suit, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. “So it's cool to be able to fulfill my dream.”

Myungjun was just going to end up falling in love with Jinwoo even more at this rate. “That's really amazing! I can't even imagine being a fireman, though. It sounds dangerous.”

“We're more equipped to handle fires than average people, though, so I think it's more dangerous for them than it is for us.” Jinwoo seemed to appreciate Myungjun's company, if his constant glances were anything to go by, so Myungjun certainly wasn't going to actually run his errands anytime soon. “But what about you? What do you do?”

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders. “Not as cool as a fireman, but I do graphic design work.”

“Really?”

“Yup. For companies and stuff. I design their websites. Pay's not super great, either, and I'm not out saving cats from trees and letting the owners of these cats fall on top of them, but it's still fun.”

Jinwoo laughed at the small quip, making Myungjun feel giddy inside. He liked Jinwoo's laugh, and he was determined to hear it more often than once in a blue moon like this.

They talked for a few more minutes until Jinwoo completely stopped walking and gestured at his shopping cart. “It looks like I'm done with my errands.”

Myungjun blinked. In the time they had been talking, Jinwoo had actually filled up on groceries. Meanwhile, Myungjun's cart was still bare. “Oh. Um...yeah, sorry, I got a little caught up in our conversations. It's not every day I get to meet a cute fire-”

Nope.

He could not _believe_ that just came out of his mouth, and he struggled to redeem himself without actually looking over at Jinwoo. “A cute...fire _truck_! I saw the firetruck-”

“I took the bus here, actually.”

“-in my dreams,” Myungjun finished as he turned into a stammering and blushing mess. “The firetruck in, um, in my dreams.”

Jinwoo shuffled his feet. “That...o-okay, it doesn't make much sense. Did you mean to say _fireman_?”

Myungjun had. Jinwoo knew it, too, but Myungjun was still going to play ignorant. “Why would I mean that?”

“Well, you abandoned your shopping to come talk to me. And when I was trying to rescue your cat the other day, I overheard that tall kid tell you to stop flirting with me.”

Why was Jinwoo this observant? Myungjun hated it. “I don't know why he said that since I had hardly spoken to you at all.”

“Oh.” Jinwoo hesitated for a few seconds, then muttered, “It would have been alright if you wanted to flirt. I don't think I mind. I mean, I think you're...cute.”

“Then I think you're cute, too!” Myungjun couldn't help blurting out his thoughts, and he gripped tightly onto his shopping cart. “And I was _totally_ going to flirt, if you'd allow me to!”

“Do you need my permission?”

Myungjun took a deep breath. “Do I?”

“Well if you do, then you have my permission.”

And he released that breath. “Then can I ask you to extinguish the flames you started in my heart?”

Even if he hadn't managed to actually do any shopping whatsoever, at least he managed to make Jinwoo have a laughing fit in the middle of the store.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobody ever flirts properly in my stories. i think it's a side-effect of how terrible i am at flirting (also can't tell when guys are flirting at me, i just wish guys would hold big neon signs to let me know).
> 
> shower me with dollar bills [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com).


	4. the fireman: a natural flirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He knew Jinwoo had a job to do, and he knew it might entail skipping some dates. Even if it was their very first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh im half asleep so idk what i wrote but i bet it's good???

“No, I understand! Saving people comes first and foremost! I wasn't even halfway close to being ready, anyway!”

Myungjun was still a liar. He was fully dressed in nice clothes, his hair was combed and hair-sprayed a ridiculous amount, and he even put on some expensive cologne. It might have been a little too much for a first date at the movies, but Myungjun was willing to look his best for Jinwoo.

Not that it mattered now, however. He had forgotten for a short second that Jinwoo _had_ to rush down to the station should a problem occur. And a problem occurred, and that problem was a damn house fire.

Myungjun knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help the slight flash of irritation towards whoever it was that might have accidentally started a house fire. He pushed that thought away, though, because he was a nice person. He knew Jinwoo had a job to do, and he knew it might entail skipping some dates.

Even if it was their very first date.

Myungjun sighed and allowed a little bit of self-pity to seep in and hit him in the heart as he hung up the phone. There would be other dates, and Jinwoo made plans with him for tomorrow evening, but this date had made him feel like a child awaiting his birthday, only to be told he would have to wait _one_ extra day.

Also, he had spent over an hour getting himself ready for nothing.

Since he was already dressed and prepared to go out, though, he decided he might as well do _something_. He could run to the convenience store and grab some ramen, at the very least.

Except Sanha somehow seemed to know whenever Myungjun so much as _opened_ his door, because the boy was always _right there_.

“Jesus, you scared me,” Myungjun muttered, placing a hand over his heart when he saw Sanha's wide grin. “Why aren't you inside helping your mother with something?”

“She's at work.”

“And she trusts you by yourself? Where's your babysitter?”

Sanha rolled his eyes. “I'm almost done with high school, Hyung.”

“You don't look like it.” Myungjun gestured up towards Sanha's face. “Your height says you're twenty-five, but your face says you're three.”

“Why did Jinwoo agree to go out with you? You're mean.”

Myungjun scowled at that and straightened out the cuffs of his sleeve. “Well,” he started, “We're not exactly going out _tonight_.” He didn't miss Sanha's inquisitive expression. “Tomorrow we'll go out.”

“Did he ditch you?” Sanha suddenly looked angry and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do I need to go beat him up?”

“Sanha, you're literally skin and bones. You can't beat _Jinwoo_ up, in any case. He's a fireman. He could probably knock you out with a single punch. And, _no_ , he didn't ditch me. He just had a fire to go put out. You know, like firemen do.”

“Oh.” Sanha seemed to relax at that (and he also seemed to ignore Myungjun's insults). “So where are you going, then? You're all dressed up for the date.”

“I'm just grabbing some food.” Myungjun began walking. Unfortunately for him, Sanha followed.

“Dressed like that?”

Myungjun stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I was already dressed to go out,” he mumbled. “I'm not even going to bother changing at this point.”

“Can I come?”

“Nope.” Myungjun's answer was quick and simple, and when Sanha tried to object, Myungjun sighed. “I have so much dirt on you, Yoon Sanha, and I'm not afraid to be a big, far tattle-tale. Remember the Minhyuk incident?”

And Sanha left him alone after that.

Despite being quite proud of himself for getting Sanha off his back, Myungjun couldn't deny how terribly lonely it felt heating up a bowl of ramen noodles for himself in the nearby convenience store, even more so since he was dressed up for a nice date. The cashier kept giving him pitying looks, and Myungjun was half-tempted to just leave.

But leaving meant he would have to go straight back home where Sanha would be waiting, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

He took his time eating, then, and decided to ignore the cashier and the one or two other customers that came in the store and lingered for a bit. He didn't care what _they_ thought, or so he told himself. And, sure, this ramen wasn't nearly as great as sharing a bag of popcorn with Jinwoo, but it would make do until tomorrow.

He could handle being alone tonight if it meant he could share time with Jinwoo later.

Myungjun wondered, at that moment, if someone heard his thoughts. Perhaps there was a god inside the shop to help him out, because Jinwoo suddenly walked in through the door, looking quite out of breath and wide-eyed. Myungjun had to stare for a few seconds before scrambling up out of his seat. “Ji-Jinwoo?”

Once Jinwoo's gaze landed on him, the fireman broke out into a gummy smile and hurried on over. “Sorry I'm late!”

“For...?”

“The date!” Jinwoo gestured at the counter where Myungjun had been eating. “Not exactly a cute movie date, but, um, tomorrow will be better.”

Myungjun was sure his eyes were wider than Jinwoo's now. “I-I thought you had that _fire_ and-”

“It was small,” Jinwoo explained. “We got there and it was hardly anything at all, fortunately. So we put it out and went back to the station and they told me I could go home if I wanted, but I thought I'd surprise you at your place. Except then I realized I don't know which apartment was yours, so I was just going to call you, but then that tall kid saw me and told me where you went.” Jinwoo cleared his throat. “So, um, here I am! A little late for out first date, and I know it's not romantic at all, but...” Jinwoo trailed off and then let his hands slap lightly at the sides of his own legs in some form of nervous habit.

He seemed a little unnerved by Myungjun's staring. “Should I grab myself a bowl?” Jinwoo asked, voice lowering ever so slightly.

“Of...? Oh. Ramen.” Myungjun blinked himself out of his trance. “Sorry, I...didn't expect you to, um, to come see me. I mean, I thought we would wait until tomorrow.”

“I really wanted to see you, though.” Jinwoo's ears were red and Myungjun found it absolutely endearing. “And we can still go tomorrow, I just also wanted to see you tonight.”

“Two dates?” Myungjun could hardly believe his luck. “Can we make them both first dates? Two first dates?”

Jinwoo looked up and a grin started to spread across his face. “If you want. Sure. We can do that.”

“Then this is a date!” Myungjun reached over and grabbed an extra bowl of ramen from the shelf and eagerly passed it over to Jinwoo. “And this is our dinner! I dressed real fancy for this, you know.”

“I see that.” Jinwoo looked down at Myungjun's outfit appreciatively. Myungjun stood taller with the knowledge that Jinwoo had just actually checked him out. “Y-You look good, too.”

“Yeah, it's a little hot, though.”

“I can imagine. You can probably take off the jacket, though, it might be a bit cooler that-”

“It's hot in here because you walked in.”

He wondered at first if he had gone too far, but then Jinwoo was giggling behind his hands. For such a hot fireman, he looked incredibly adorable when he giggled like that, and Myungjun found himself smiling widely in response.

“Your flirting isn't very subtle,” Jinwoo pointed out.

“But you appreciate it just fine, don't you?”

Jinwoo stopped giggling long enough to respond, “I appreciate it as much as I appreciate you wearing this outfit.” And then he added, “Which is a lot, in case you were wondering.”

Jinwoo, Myungjun decided, was a natural flirt.

Jinwoo, Myungjun also decided, was someone that Myungjun wanted to date for the rest of his life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk pizza puns were so much easier to put into this fic than fire-related puns are. but i got one fire/hot related pun in here so there we go.
> 
> send me some dollar bills to buy puns [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com).


	5. the fireman: a hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What did you do, Yoon Sanha?” was Myungjun's first question as he gave his neighbor a quick look-over. “Why are you burning down our apartment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should be in bed bc i have to be at work early tomorrow buuuut i had to be garbage tonight and write myungjin.

“What are you, Jinwoo's girlfriend?”

Myungjun glanced up at one of Jinwoo's fellow firemen, who was staring at him with wide eyes. “You bring him lunch every week.”

“Maybe I like to make lunches.”

“If you did, could you bring some for everyone?”

Myungjun didn't answer that. He simply scoffed and unpacked the food he had brought for Jinwoo that particular day. The other firemen always talked to him whenever he stopped by, but he had the feeling that Jinwoo had yet to actually explain their relationship to anyone.

Myungjun supposed that acting like a doting housewife _probably_ created far more rumors than necessary, but Jinwoo always seemed pleased to see him.

And speaking of Jinwoo - “Where is he, anyway?”

Myungjun didn't even have to say the name for the fireman to roll his eyes and call out, “Jinwoo, you have company! It's your _girlfriend_!” The fireman snickered as Jinwoo strolled into the room, a large, gummy smile crossing his face upon seeing Myungjun.

“Boyfriend,” Jinwoo corrected, then gestured over to Myungjun. “Because he's a boy.”

That certainly managed to wipe the laughter off the fireman's face, and his eyes went back to their wide shape. “Wait, seriously? I was just joking – are you really dating him?”

“You said it yourself, I bring him lunch every single week,” Myungjun mumbled, and he passed said lunch over to Jinwoo. “Of course I'm his boyfriend.”

He didn't realize that Jinwoo would just blurt it out nonchalantly. He thought a bigger spectacle would be made out of it.

“And everyone else knows,” Jinwoo added on, opening up the plastic container that held his meal. “Except for you, Binnie.”

“You suck,” came the fireman's response, and he left the room with a huff and a yell of, “I'm going to go tell everyone that you have a girlfriend!”

Myungjun waited until he was out of earshot before shoving Jinwoo's shoulder. “You never told me that you let everyone know!”

“I didn't.” Jinwoo stuck some meat in his mouth and giggled. “You're kind of obvious, Myungjun. I mean, always bringing me food and ruffling my hair and telling me that you'll kill me if I don't stay safe – I'm a little shocked Binnie didn't know, to be honest. _Everyone_ figured it out, like, the first day you came by.”

Myungjun pouted before taking over the spot that Bin had previously been seated at. “I really _will_ kill you if you don't stay safe.”

Jinwoo was still grinning, and he leaned over and gave Myungjun's cheek a pat. “I know. Right back at you, Myungjun. Though I'll save you first, and _then_ I'll kill you.”

“That's only if I'm involved with a fire,” Myungjun responded. “And I won't be.”

He realized, though, that he should no longer jinx himself in such a manner. Just days later, the comfort and quiet of his apartment building was shattered when he heard the loud fire alarm go off in the hall. A quick glance outside told him that people were hurrying away, but he had no idea where the fire even _was_. He didn't smell smoke.

Still, he knew better than to ignore something as dangerous as a fire (dating a fireman really made him obey all safety precautions), so he scooped up his cat and scurried outside.

Sanha was already waiting for him, half asleep and in his pajamas.

“What did you do, Yoon Sanha?” was Myungjun's first question as he gave his neighbor a quick look-over. “Why are you burning down our apartment?”

Sanha yawned and shrugged his shoulders. “Wasn't me,” he mumbled back. “I don't even see anything wrong with it. Someone's stove probably made too much smoke on our hall.”

“I didn't smell smoke.” And now that Myungjun had ensured Sanha's safety (though he didn't know how safe Sanha truly was – the kid looked ready to fall asleep standing up), he glanced back at the building. “How much trouble will I be in if I run back inside? My wallet's in there.”

Sanha's response was to grab onto Myungjun's hoodie. “You date a fireman and you want to go back inside?”

“There's no fire.”

“There _could_ be.”

“Fine, geez. I was joking, anyway.” Sanha's fingers stayed curled around his sleeve for a few more seconds before falling. “Though I _really_ need my wallet.”

“ _Hyung_.”

“Joking, Sanha. You're such a worrywart.” Myungjun patted Sanha's shoulder and would have probably continued his “jokes” had he not heard the sounds of a firetruck pulling in. The small crowd that had gathered out on the pavement moved aside to allow the firemen to hurry into the building, and Myungjun's heart raced when he spotted Jinwoo.

He _really_ hoped there was no fire now, more so for Jinwoo's sake and less for his wallet's sake.

Fortunately for both his boyfriend and his money, the apartments were declared all clear after a few minutes of waiting. Myungjun ushered Sanha inside (after depositing his cat in Sanha's hands, and he saw Star bite Sanha only once as the younger boy shuffled back to the apartment complex), but he lingered around until the firemen seemed complete with their evaluation of what had occurred.

Jinwoo came up to him then, and before Myungjun could say anything at all, he was pulled into a tight embrace. Jinwoo's uniform was uncomfortable for hugging, and the plastic on his helmet hit Myungjun's cheek, but Myungjun was quite fine with it all, as it entailed being able to actually hug Jinwoo.

He was probably more fine with it when Jinwoo pulled back slightly only to place a small and gentle kiss on Myungjun's lips.

It took Myungjun's words away, his breath away, and he was left with nothing but a wide-eyed gaze. Jinwoo, on the other hand, still seemed conscious enough of the situation to start rambling.

“We were going to your apartment and we were halfway here when I realized that this is where _you_ live, and I was so worried and nervous.”

Jinwoo _seemed_ worried and nervous, even if no fire had actually occurred. His hand moved up to brush Myungjun's bangs to the side, soft touches calming the both of them from adrenaline (though Myungjun realized _his_ own adrenaline came from the kiss; Jinwoo's was more reasonable, what with believing his boyfriend might be stuck in a fire or something). “I'm so happy you're alright, Myungjun.”

“Ah.” Myungjun cleared his throat and prayed that he wasn't blushing too terribly. “Well, you know, you're a hero, so I think if I _wasn't_ alright, you'd come and save the day for me.”

“I'd rather you just not be in trouble.”

“Obviously. I think we all want that.” He was happy he was able to find his voice, at the very least, and he placed a hand on Jinwoo's arm to stop the hair-brushing. “Hey. Jinwoo. I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere. I think the only issue you'll ever have is my fear of climbing trees.”

This, luckily enough, did finally make Jinwoo grin and remove his hand. “I'm going to hold you to that,” he commented. “I'll save you from trees as much as you want.”

“That can be our date for tomorrow.”

Jinwoo was laughing, and Myungjun wanted to laugh along with him, but then he frowned. “Wait, you _kissed_ me, Jinwoo. We had our _first kiss_. And I don't think-”

“Oh my god!” Jinwoo somehow only _then_ realized that in his rush to ensure Myungjun's safety, he _had_ , in fact, connected lips. “We did have our first kiss!” A whine came to his voice. “I wanted to do it romantically!”

“That's what I thought.” Myungjun gave a slight _tsk_ with his tongue. “I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to have _two_ first kisses.” He glanced at Jinwoo's lips, then met his gaze once more. “And with our second kiss, _sparks_ will fly.”

Jinwoo blinked. “Two first kisses? Can we do that?”

“We had two first dates, but _sparks_ will fly, Jinwoo.”

Jinwoo didn't move.

“Jinwoo. _Sparks_. And they'll fly and...like, sparks make a fire- never mind, I ruined the moment and now we'll have to wait for our second first kiss.”

They didn't have to, though, because Jinwoo kissed him suddenly again, and Myungjun realized that, by the time Jinwoo left, they had five first kisses.

Myungjun decided they would never stop having first kisses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt proofread, so if you spot any mistakes, you're probably wrong bc i dont make mistakes.
> 
> send me perfect dollar bills [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com) so i can continue being the definition of perfection.


	6. jinwoo - the fireman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rain washed the kiss away rather quickly, but Myungjun knew there would be plenty more kisses in dry weather. He wasn't too concerned. His heart held onto each of the kisses, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im going to barf, this is like eating ten chocolate cakes at once. its disgusting.

“The weatherman didn't say that it was going to rain today.”

Myungjun held a hand out from underneath the bus stop awning, catching some of the droplets in his fingers and letting them fall back to their rightful spot on the ground, joining the other droplets to create small puddles in the cracks of the sidewalk. Beside him came a soft sigh.

“You're right. It was supposed to be clear today.”

Myungjun didn't know what brought about the sudden bout of rain, but he found that, despite ruining their date plans, the rain didn't bother him too much. His hand dropped back down to his side and he nudged Jinwoo's shoulder.

“The one day you took off and this happens, huh?”

“I think someone up there hates me.”

“Who could hate you?” Myungjun's wet fingers went up to muss Jinwoo's hair, playing with the fringe on the back of his neck. “Show me someone who hates you, and I'll beat them right up.”

Jinwoo, fortunately, was smiling at that. “I don't think you can beat up God.”

“Watch me, Jinwoo. If he hates you, I'll get him.”

Jinwoo laughed, and Myungjun grinned at the sound of the laughter. Everything Jinwoo did, he realized, was perfect. Jinwoo always said that Myungjun had the best laugh, but he certainly never heard _himself_ laugh, then.

Jinwoo always said a lot of stuff about Myungjun having the best _everything_ ; laugh, smile, eyes, personality. Whatever it was Myungjun did, Jinwoo proclaimed it the best.

Myungjun disagreed. Myungjun was second best when Jinwoo was involved, but he was fine with that.

“Now we have to wait for the next bus.” Jinwoo's laughter had trailed off, but there was still a smile in his eyes, and Myungjun hoped his own eyes were smiling back.

“When does the next bus come?”

“Um...” Jinwoo glanced over to check the times, and he scanned through quickly before replying, “It looks like half an hour. But buses are usually late, and I really don't know how this town's buses operate. We got here later than we were supposed to in the first place.”

“So more than thirty minutes just waiting?”

“Seems that way.”

Myungjun looked up at the glass-covered awning. The rain was now pounding harshly at it, continuing its descent down with little regard of who it was inconveniencing. “How far away was that restaurant?” he asked.

“I think it was a ten or fifteen minute walk.”

“That's not long.” And, with that, Myungjun stepped out into the rain, ducking his head slightly as he felt the water instantly engulf him. “Come on, Jinwoo!”

He didn't have to look to know that Jinwoo wasn't moving just yet. “Myungjun, are you crazy? We'll be soaked by the time we get there! Let's just go wait for the bus and have a date back at my place, or something.”

Myungjun huffed and crossed his hands over his chest. His shirt was sticking to him and it was _very_ uncomfortable to move in wet jeans, but it wasn't everyday he got to walk in a sudden downpour with his boyfriend. He wanted to experience the first of everything, so this was something he would finally get to experience. “I'm already wet,” he responded. “So you might as well follow me.”

Jinwoo hesitated for a few more seconds before giving a sigh of defeat and stepping out to join Myungjun. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, but opened them when Myungjun's lips smacked into his cheek. “You're crazy,” he repeated.

“You love me.”

“You're _nuts_.”

“You love me.”

Jinwoo giggled and returned the kiss, his lips lingering for a little longer before he released Myungjun. The rain washed the kiss away rather quickly, but Myungjun knew there would be plenty more kisses in dry weather. He wasn't too concerned. His heart held onto each of the kisses, anyway. “Alright, fine, yes. I _love_ you, Myungjun.”

They had already exchanged their first confessions. Myungjun remembered that night vividly, when Jinwoo had stopped him under a dim streetlamp and had stared at him seriously for a while, and when Myungjun finally opened his mouth to ask what was up, Jinwoo had declared his love right then and there.

It had been romantic, too, the stars twinkling ahead and the silent rush of the city in the distance, and Myungjun had been too shocked to speak. They had kissed instead, over and over, until Myungjun was finally able to gather his voice and blurt out his own confession.

He had never seen Jinwoo smile so widely in his life.

Still, each time Jinwoo said those words again, “I love you,” Myungjun felt like it was the first time, like he and Jinwoo were transported back underneath that streetlamp with the cool breeze ruffling their coats, and he couldn't help the smile that would come across his own face.

Even with the rain completely drenching them and the shivers that were threatening to take over his body, Myungjun felt like everything was perfect.

They held hands as they walked, and Myungjun stopped at every large puddle to kick the water over to Jinwoo. Jinwoo finally got him back by making him walk right underneath a gutter, the water hitting Myungjun with enough force to cause him to sputter lightly, and Jinwoo had to let go of their hands to hold himself up against a brick wall, laughing too hard to stand properly on his own.

They were nearing the lights of a small shopping district, where the cute, fancy restaurant Myungjun reserved seats for stood, and he grasped onto Jinwoo's hand once more. “I like the rain,” he commented.

“Really?” Jinwoo looked a little surprised at that. “You've always told me that sunny weather is your favorite.”

“Mm. But the rain puts out fires so that you don't have to. So when it rains, you can stay with me all the time.”

Despite the downpour and the lack of sunlight, Myungjun was able to detect a blush on Jinwoo's cheeks, and he puffed up in pride. “So I hope it rains all the time.”

“You're so cliché.”

“I hope it rains so that I can continue to be Jinwoo's source of sunlight.”

Jinwoo was quiet for a few seconds, then chuckled. “You're on _fire_ with your cliches today.”

“Jinwoo, did you just tell a fire pun?”

“I did. Look, there's a bridge up here. Toss me off the bridge, alright? I'm ashamed of myself.”

Myungjun laughed loudly and wrapped his arms around Jinwoo, pulling him close. There were puddles in Myungjun's shoes at this point, and Jinwoo's hair was an absolute wreck, but he figured it probably wasn't going to get any better than this.

“Hey Jinwoo?”

“What?”

“There's a tree up there, as well. If I decide to climb the tree, will you still rescue me even if you don't get paid for it?”

Jinwoo looked to be contemplating the question, and then he replied, “That's less money I have to spend at the restaurant if you get stuck in the tree, so I think I'll leave you there for a while.”

“ _Jinwoo_!” Myungjun whined and tugged at his arm.

“Maybe I'll get takeout for you.”

With a sigh, Myungjun released his boyfriend's arm. “I guess that's good enough for me.”

“Don't climb any trees, Myungjun.”

“I won't.” And then Myungjun added, “Unless a hot fireman is around to rescue me.”

Jinwoo sighed, but leaned over and added another kiss to Myungjun's cheeks. “I guess I'll just have to stick around, then.”

“Forever, probably. You never know when I might climb a tree.”

“I guess I'll stick around forever.”

Myungjun wasn't going to argue.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the fireman stayed with myungjun forever and only had to rescue him from trees four more times in their lives. the end.
> 
> i hope everyone enjoyed this!!! it was a lot of fun to write (im always game for sickeningly sweet myungjin) and it was even more fun to read all of the nice comments this story received. stick around, folks, there'll be more sweet stuff down the road!
> 
> pass me dollar bills (and more fun requests) over [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com).


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